Undead and Unwed: Queen Betsy, Book 1

Waking up in a tacky coffin and wearing off-brand shoes, Betsy Taylor can't believe the horrible turn her life has taken; then she discovers she's a vampire. Soon, Betsy becomes a participant in a power struggle between the forces of darkness. With only her friend Jessica and the hunky vampire Sinclair to help her, this new "Queen of Vampires" will have a tough time getting her afterlife straight.

Undead and Done

In the final Undead novel from New York Times best-selling author MaryJanice Davidson, all hell has literally broken loose. While Queen Betsy's first press conference brings her more fame and attention than ever before and a PR team is compiled for damage control, the devil has escaped and remains at large in the world. Oh, and the werewolves have come to town - as have the mermaids - to lend their support...or wait to see who falls, and how hard.

The Witch's Halloween Hero: A Nocturne Falls Short

Welcome to Nocturne Falls, the town that celebrates Halloween 365 days a year. The tourists think it's all a show: the vampires, the werewolves, the witches, the occasional gargoyle flying through the sky. But the supernaturals populating the town know better. When a spell goes wrong on the night of Samhain for witch Corette Williams, her only hope is the man she loves, Bartholomew Stanhill. But time is running out.

The Vampire's Valentine Surprise: A Nocturne Falls Short

Welcome to Nocturne Falls, the town that celebrates Halloween 365 days a year. When Delaney Ellingham enters the Nocturne Falls Valentine's Day Bake-Off, she has no idea that an old rival will create such havoc. Her husband, Hugh, and her friends all come to her aid, but even they can't guess the surprise that lies in store.

The Werewolf's Christmas Wish: A Nocturne Falls Short

Welcome to Nocturne Falls, the town where Halloween is celebrated 365 days a year. The tourists think it's all a show: the vampires, the werewolves, the witches, the occasional gargoyle flying through the sky. But the supernaturals populating the town know better.

Welcome to Nocturne Falls - the town that celebrates Halloween 365 days a year. Jayne Frost is a lot of things. Winter elf, Jack Frost's daughter, Santa Claus' niece, heir to the Winter Throne, and now...private investigator. Sort of. When she buys a sealed box at an estate sale and cat-related circumstances cause that box to be opened, life in Nocturne Falls starts to go haywire. Jayne has no choice but to figure out what she unleashed and how to recapture it.

Something to Witch About: Wicked Witches of the Midwest, Book 5

Life's a witch...and then you die. It's the dying part vexing Bay Winchester these days. She may be a long-suffering daughter, thankless newspaper editor, and keyed-up girlfriend, but she's barely holding off a royal freak-out. Landon's family is visiting the inn - and they're not exactly open minded. Bay is on a mission to hide her witchy ways, but the discovery of a body - and the poltergeist that accompanies it - at The Overlook tips everything into turmoil.

It's been a while since Nina Statleon - ex-coffin lover, current chicken wing lover - lost her vampire mojo during a particularly brutal OOPS case. Her friends Wanda and Marty are worried. Nina clearly hasn't dealt with the emotional fallout caused by losing one's immortality. She's got issues. Big issues. And it's time to call in the Big Gun - paranormal psychologist January Malone. Her friends will get Nina to the therapist's office, even if they have to lure her with the last bag of Cheetos in Manhattan.

Where the Wild Things Bite

Delivering a rare book to a valued customer is definitely part of mild-mannered archivist Anna Whitfield's job description. You know what isn't? Protecting her precious cargo from midflight theft by the very pilot who is flying her to Half-Moon Hollow...while trying to appear as unappetizing as possible to the only other passenger, a vampire. Undead bookstore owner Jane Jameson could be waiting a very long time for her book. Possibly forever.

You've Got Tail: Peculiar Mysteries, Book 1

Sunny Haddock, an animal-loving vegetarian psychic, is stoked to leave California behind to start a new life in the Ozark town of Peculiar with her best friend Chavvah Trimmel. She ups the moving date when Chav goes missing, and Sunny high tails it to the small town. What Sunny doesn't realize is that she's moving into a community of were-shifters, and they don't want a human resident.

Amazon Customer says:"Quirky, fun and blessedly without the ridiculous self-inflicted idiotic angst so often found in the female heroines of the genre"

Big Vamp on Campus

Ophelia Lambert, 400-year-old vampire princess and college freshman, suddenly finds herself domesticated by humans and forced to suffer the indignities of dorm rooms, communal bathrooms, and a roommate with sticky fingers. As one of the hundreds of undead venturing into postsecondary education, Ophelia has a lot more to learn that just "undead studies" - she has to learn to get along with her fellow vampire classmates and, worst of all, her human ones.

The Vampire's Mail Order Bride: Nocturne Falls, Book 1

After seeing her maybe-mobster boss murder a guy, Delaney James assumes a new identity and pretends to be a mail order bride. She finds her groom-to-be living in a town that celebrates Halloween every day. Weird. But not as weird as what she doesn't know. Her groom-to-be is a 400-year-old vampire.

The Shifter Romances the Writer: Nocturne Falls, Book 6

For romance writer Roxy St. James, living in Nocturne Falls also means a fresh start. And as soon as her unbearable ex signs the divorce papers, that new beginning will be a reality. Unfortunately, her ex doesn't seem ready to let her go and the subtle threats he's been making leave her no choice but to confide in her oh-so-handsome neighbor, who just happens to be a deputy with the sheriff's department. But Officer Alex Cruz isn't just the law. He's also a panther shifter, a secret he's sworn to keep.

Grim Reunion: Aisling Grimlock, Book 4

Aisling Grimlock has a lot going on. Her boyfriend is keeping a secret with her brother. She's finally on her own collecting souls for the family reaping business. Oh, and her mother is back from the dead and may be eating people to keep herself alive. When trouble comes knocking and someone Aisling adores is left injured in the crossfire, she's out for blood and vengeance. Her brothers want to believe their mother is telling the truth but protecting those she loves is more important than buried memories.

Fashionably Hotter Than Hell

Welcome to my own personal hell. Name: Heathcliff. Occupation: Vampyre Warrior - one of the deadliest in the world. I plan. I fight. I win. Always. However, it's never taken me this damned long to get what I want before. Only I would be blessed with a Vampyre mate I'd have to chase for two centuries. The chemistry between us is steamy, and the sex is sizzling, but I want more - I want it all. Now, just as I'm finally wearing Raquel down, I find I have competition, not for my mate's hand but for her very existence.

A Fashionably Dead Christmas

Mixing heaven and hell on my cousin's famous birthday seemed like such a brilliant idea. I wanted my baby's first Christmas to be special - memorable. I'd like to chalk my heinous idea up to having been falling-down drunk, but that won't fly, as it's insanely difficult for a Vampyre to tie one on. So instead I'll deal with obscene gifts from relatives, kidnapped rock stars, and catering by Mother Nature.

The Care and Feeding of Stray Vampires

Iris Scanlon, Half-Moon Hollow's only daytime vampire concierge, knows more about the undead than she'd like. Running all their daylight errands - from letting in the plumber to picking up some chilled O neg - gives her a look at the not-so-glamorous side of vampire life. Her rules are strict; relationships with vamps are strictly business, not friendship - and certainly not anything else. But then she finds her newest client, Cal, poisoned on his kitchen floor, and only Iris can help.

Fashionably Dead

Vampyres don't exist. They absolutely do not exist. At least I didn't think they did 'til I tried to quit smoking and ended up Undead. Who in the hell did I screw over in a former life that my getting healthy equates with dead? Now I'm a Vampyre. Yes, we exist whether we want to or not. However, I have to admit, the perks aren't bad. My girls no longer jiggle, my ass is higher than a kite, and the latest Prada keeps finding its way to my wardrobe.

Fashionably Dead and Wed

What do you get when you combine a three-headed monster named Charles; a rotund, gay, dancing Demon named Doug; a culinary disaster baked by Mother Nature; a celibate premarital councilor named Jeff; an offer from Satan that's impossible to refuse; and Steve Perry? You get the royal wedding from hell - or, to be more accurate, possibly in hell. All I want to do is marry the Vampyre of my dreams, with my closest friends and family in attendance. Yep, I know nuptials in the undead world are unheard of, but I'm still hanging on to my humanity if only by a thread.

Wolf at the Door

Rachel, a werewolf/accountant, is asked to keep one eye on Vampire Queen Betsy Taylor and the other peeled for a rogue werewolf who's itching to start a war. But her attention is mostly on a sexy, mysterious stranger she wishes she could trust.

The Curse of Tenth Grave: A Novel

As a part-time PI and full-time grim reaper, Charley Davidson has asked a lot of questions throughout her life: Why can I see dead people? Who is the hot supernatural entity following me? How do I get gum out of my sister's hair before she wakes up? But "how do I trap not one malevolent god but three?" was never among them. Until now. And since those gods are on earth to kill her daughter, she has little choice but to track them down, trap them, and cast them from this dimension. There's just one problem. One of the three stole her heart a very long time ago.

Miss Frost Solves a Cold Case: Jayne Frost, Book 1

Jayne Frost is a winter elf, Jack Frost's daughter, Santa Claus's niece, heir to the Winter Throne, and now private investigator. Needing someone he can trust, her father sends her to Nocturne Falls to find out why employees at a toy store are going missing. Doing that requires getting to know the town, which leads to interesting encounters with a sexy vampire, an old flame, and an elevator that's strictly off-limits. The more Jayne finds out, the more questions she has, but the answers lead her deeper into danger.

The Old Witcheroo: Witchless in Seattle Series, Book 4

When last we met, dear friends, a man had come calling, claiming to be Crispin Alistair Winterbottom, my dead British ex-spy. A notion I'd find ludicrous, if the handsome imposter didn't, in fact, look exactly like my dead British ex-spy. But there's no time for that mystery when a quiet walk on our private stretch of beach turns up something far more pressing - another tragedy in my beloved small Washington town. That's right. I, Stevie Cartwright, ex-witch turned amateur sleuth, have stumbled upon another murder. But this time it's closer to home, more personal.

Hex on the Beach: The Magic & Mixology Mystery Series, Book 1

Lily Locke has never believed in witches and wizards, ghosts and magic, shifters and vampires - especially cute blonde vamps with blood-intolerance issues. A rising star at a hotshot marketing agency in Minneapolis, Minnesota, all Lily knows is that she's a PowerPoint guru, an Excel ninja, and a coffee-maker extraordinaire. Not to mention she's next in line for a huge promotion.

Publisher's Summary

Betsy needs a job and amazingly lands the perfect one: selling designer shoes at Macy's. But the other vamps, including sexy Sinclair, don't want their queen selling shoes. And the vampire hunters are becoming a real pain, murdering innocent vampires. It seems that everyone wants something from Betsy.

MaryJanice Davidson is a New York Times and USA Today best-selling author. Her Undead books are extremely popular paranormal romances.

What the Critics Say

"Davidson's witty dialogue, fast pacing, smart plotting, laugh-out-loud humor, and sexy relationships make this a joy to read. And Betsy's second adventure, following her debut in Undead and Unwed, will have readers begging for more." (Booklist)

Did the other reviewer listen to the same book I did? I absolutely love this series, and have listened to all 5 multiple times.
I love this book because Queen Betsy **is** such a shallow, vacuous "valley girl" type. It's funny & I think the narrator does an excellent job of portraying Betsy in all her vain & shallow glory.

I have almost completed the entire series and because I just keep starting the next one, my reviews are getting behind. The banter is funny and Betsy is so self-centered that you can't help but love her. The narrator is excellent and keeps the book alive.
Be sure you read the books in order, or you could get lost on the references.
What a fun and humorous read!

Ms. Davidson is good at making Betsy just ditsy enough to make her funny. Its a good thing that her friends and Sinclair have a lot of patience.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Undead and Unemployed?

I liked them all. The whole book made me giggle.

What does Nancy Wu bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I can't imagine the book without Nancy Wu. She is the voice of all of these characters now.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

No.

Any additional comments?

I loved these books. (you notice I used the past tense) There is a point in the future where I dislike where the author went with the story. I actually stopped reading the books and this was in my top 10 favorites. I am only mentioning this because I think it is only fair you know in the begging that this series takes a crazy turn at book either 9 or 10 I can't remember. By reading other reviews, I am not the only one who feels this way. But, the books up to that point are hilarious. So, reader be warned. You may like the direction it takes later, you may not. I feel better that I let you know.

“Oh. This sucks. This totally and completely sucks. The vampires all hate me and everyone’s trying to kill me!” ~Queen Betsy

Undead and Unemployed is the second book in MaryJanice Davidson’s QUEEN BETSY series. In the previous book, shallow and too fashionably-conscious Betsy died, came back as a vampire, and managed to kill the vampire queen, which makes Betsy the new queen. Her roommates and friends are determined to make sure Betsy gets the kind of royal treatment she deserves, but Betsy has no interest in fulfilling her exalted role. She just wants to work at her new dream job as a salesperson in the shoe department at Macy’s. But when someone starts killing vampires in her city, her consort Sinclair insists that Betsy do something about it.

As I mentioned in my review of Undead and Unwed, the first QUEEN BETSY book, I didn’t expect to like this series. I picked up the first book only because it was on sale at Audible. I was surprised that I liked it after all — I thought it was cute and funny — so I said I’d pick up the next book when I found it on sale. And it did, so here I am.

Betsy is finally getting used to her undead state, though she’s still really squeamish about drinking blood and she doesn’t know what to think about her sexy consort. Betsy’s a shallow person with a genuinely good heart (when she decides to listen to it). Her previous life was simple and silly and her biggest problems involved deciding which shoes to wear. She’s had a hard time transitioning to her new undead life. But even though Betsy seems like an airhead most of the time, she’s actually pretty smart and she can be tough when she has to be. And since she’s got some major vampire superpowers, that means she can be deadly.

The plot of Undead and Unemployed is simple, the characters are props (e.g. sexy hunk, rich black girl, gay doctor), it’s obvious who the bad guy is, and the romantic tension is silly. But that’s kind of the point. The best thing about the QUEEN BETSY series is that it doesn’t take itself too seriously. It basks in its shallowness and glories in its insignificance. And in doing so, it’s genuinely funny. The second best thing about the series is that the books are short. MaryJanice Davidson seems to know exactly when to stop. She knows when we’ve had enough snark.

The audiobook is a fun way to spend 7½ hours. Nancy Wu is an excellent narrator — she’s got Betsy’s voice just right. It took her a bit to warm up to the role in book one, but here she is flawless. Book three, Undead and Unappreciated, was on sale, too. I need a little break from Betsy, but I’ll be back.

I would definitely read another story from both MaryJanice Davidson or Nancy Wu. I love Betsy. I love this story. Somehow, this one didn't leave me as excited as the first. It was a good performance but the problem for me lies in the "already been there" in book one story line. I will listen to more in the series, but won't hold on for much hope as far as a different experience story wise!

Would you recommend Undead and Unemployed to your friends? Why or why not?

Yes, Betsy is a breath of fresh vampire so to speak!

What does Nancy Wu bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

She brings voice to the characters that I think suits them, but she could do better with males! Her reading style is easy to listen to.

Could you see Undead and Unemployed being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

Yes, I see this as a movie or tv series and I could've seen Alicia Silverstone doing this, but now it would have to be a younger actor with her acting chops. Emma Stone, Emma Watson, Hayden Panettiere, Anna Sophia Robb, Ellen Page or Dakota Fanning.

Any additional comments?

Great story, but lacks interesting adventure. I love Betsy's character still stays true to herself throughout the story. I really wish the books were much longer!

A great sequel to the first book, and a lead into what promises to be a great series. Betsy was again true to her nature as the slightly-ditzy/annoying heroine, but she's lovable, and I didn't really see the plot twist at the end coming.

The story was worth listening to despite the sub-par voice acting. Most of the characters sounded the same, and it was hard to tell when Betsy was actually speaking versus making sarcastic comments to herself. I'm hoping they'll eventually get someone new to read!

I just love this series it is so enjoyable. It isn't really a serious book it is more humerous than anything. The main character has a great personality and I just love the characters in the book. The narrator does a fabulous job. I plan on listening to all of them eventually. I wait till they go on sale because they are not very long books I would rather not waste a credit on short books.